Nights Like These
by Ramoning-Along
Summary: So, if we go get ice-cream. . ." "In cones," Harry interrupts. Hermione nods and continues. "Then you will be a perfect student for the rest of the night?" Harry just grins and nods. "I could not believe you less," Hermione laughs.


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Authors Note(s): _Thanks to those of you who reviewed Finding Halves, but I doubt I'll continue it do to the lack of feedback. Oh, well. This is a simple fic about Harry and Hermione flirting. Nothing serious, just a one shot at their relationship._

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Disclaimer(s): _The dialogue is taken from Gilmore Girls' episode 2.19, "Teach Me Tonight". Gilmore Girls belongs to Amy Sherman-Palladino and the WB. The dialogue has been modified to fit the Harry Potter series as I see fit. Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. Cold Play belongs to themselves, and Please Curse Me is based on the novel Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk by Legs McNeil and Gillian McCain. The Clash belongs to themselves, too, as does their song "The Guns Of Brixton"._

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Summary: _"So, if we go get ice-cream. . ." "In cones," Harry interrupts. Hermione nods and continues. "Then you will be a perfect student for the rest of the night?" Harry just grins and nods. "I could not believe you less," Hermione laughs._

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Nights _Like _These

Hermione absentmindedly flips through her history book, hardly taking notice of her surroundings as the portrait door swings open. A miffed looking Harry quickly slides into the seat across from her.

"Are you ready to start?" Hermione asks, eyes skimming through line after line of detailed Goblin war crimes.

"Yes," Harry answers as he pulls a deck of Muggle playing cards from his back pocket and begins to inspect them quietly. Hermione looks up to find Harry engrossed in doing a simple "magic" card trick. She sighs, typical Harry.

"Where are your books?" She questions as Harry noisily shuffles the cards. His head shoots up and a look of false surprise passes over his face.

"Huh," He says, looking around. "I don't know."

Hermione gives an exasperated sigh. "How are we gonna study without your books?"

"I guess we can't," Harry replies with a shrug of his shoulders. "Too bad. So, what now – walk around the lake?"

Hermione wants to answer yes, but forces herself otherwise. _You have a boyfriend, _she reminds herself.

"No. Go get your books."

"Crookshanks ate 'em," Harry smirks.

Hermione glares and pushes the large book away from herself. "Get your books or I'm going to bed."

"Wait here," Harry grins before noisily making his way up to the boys dormitory. Hermione leans back into the overstuffed chair feeling a rush of dizziness. It's going to be a _long_ night.

••

Hermione quickly flips through the large volume in front of her. It's been almost an hour and still Harry is playing with the damned cards.

"Ok," Hermione says, coming across a rather lengthy passage. "Explain to me the political ramifications of the Goblin Alliance Pact."  
"Pick a card," Is Harry's reply as he holds the deck out in front of him. Hermione doesn't know whether to groan in frustration or burst into angry tears. Instead, she decides on neither, and reaches across the table to throw the cards onto the carpeted floor. " Huh," Harry smirks. "Well, that just made the trick a little bit harder."

"Harry, _focus_," Hermione snaps. She doesn't know whether Harry decides to ignore her on purpose, or if the cheering from all his Quidditch games have rendered him deaf.

"Where's Dean tonight?" Harry asks, referring to Hermione's boyfriend, and fellow Gryffindor, Dean Thomas.

"We just went over this," Hermione groans. "There's no way you've already forgot it."

"Asleep?"

Hermione glares. "I'll make you write it out fifty times on this piece of parchment if that's what it takes."

" 'Cause if he's not asleep," Harry continues, almost as though he hasn't heard her. "He must be free. So, he doesn't care that you're here?"

"No, he doesn't," Hermione answers, pulling another large volume towards herself. "He's visiting his grandmother."

"Where?" Harry inquires.

"York."

"So, he doesn't know," Harry grins as he leans back in his chair.

"It wouldn't matter," Hermione says, event though she knows it would matter. _Does_ matter. Dean would be unbelievably jealous.

"So you'll tell him when he gets back?"

"We're studying," Hermione answers exasperatedly. She's purposely avoiding the question because, no, she won't tell Dean. Both she and Harry know this.

"You're studying, I'm prying into your personal life."

"Harry," Hermione says. "Why won't you at least try to remember the GAP?"

Harry looks thoughtful for a moment, and Hermione has the fleeting hope he will answer her question. Instead, he places both his hands behind his head and looks at her steadily.

"Have you ever read _Please Curse Me?_"

Hermione shakes her head and Harry gives a lopsided grin. He knows Hermione can't resist a conversation about books.

"Oral history of the wizardry punk movement. You'd like it – you can borrow it if you want."

"I'm here to help you study," Hermione says, realizing what Harry's trying to do. The sneaky little git. "Now, if you want me to go to sleep, I'll go, but if I'm going to stay up, then you will stop distracting me and start paying attention, understand?"

"I understand."

"Good," Hermione grins as she sits up straighter, cheeks tinted pink for no real reason. Progress, _finally_. "And yes, I would like to borrow it, thank you very much. Now open your book."

Harry just grins and begins working on the essay Professor Binns has assigned for Christmas break. The sit for quite some time, quills scratching softly against parchment and Harry taking short breaks every few minutes so as not to "stress his mind". An hour later Harry finally sets his quill down and hands Hermione his parchment.

"Done."

"This isn't an essay on the reasons behind the singing of the GAP," Hermione says, looking down at the sloppily written lyrics and doodles covering the parchment. Is that Snape wearing Dobby's tea cozy?  
"It's not?" Harry questions, acting as if this is news to him.

"It's the words to a Clash song," Hermione answers.

"Ah," Harry grins, tilting his head just so. "But which Clash song?"

Hermione feels her heart rate increase. Gods, how can her best friend do this to her?

"Hey!" Hermione says indignantly. "I'm not the one being tested right now."

"Ten seconds."

"Harry," Hermione sighs as she runs a hand through her bushy hair. She knew tutoring him was a bad idea.

"Nine, eight, seven."

"Stop it," Hermione says as she glances down at the parchment.

__

…You can crush us…

"Six, five, four."

_…You can bruise us…_

"You know you're really starting to. . ."

__

…But you'll have to answer to…

"Three."

__

…Oh, the guns of Brixton…

Hermione begins bouncing excitedly in her seat. She knows this!

"Ooh, ooh, Guns of Brixton!"

"Ten points to Gryffindor," Harry smiles. "Well done, Ms. Granger."

"Why would you even agree to this studying thing in the first place?" Hermione asks realizing what Harry's just done.

"Because Dumbledore said I had to," Is his simple answer. Hermione looks at him, making sure to take in every detail. His hair is sticking out as always, and his gray shirt hangs off his lean frame in a most depressing manner.

"You've never done anything because someone said you had to."

"I came back this year because someone said I had to," Harry says with a wry grin.

Hermione notices light bags under his eyes and she has the sudden urge to lean in and kiss him.

"Very different."

"Yeah, well. . ." Harry trails off uneasily. He doesn't like the way her gaze makes him squirm. "Hey, do you wanna get outta here?"

"What?"

Harry shrugs.

"I'm sick of studying."

"How can you be sick of studying?" Hermione asks, completely confused. "You haven't done any studying. You've done card tricks, you've charmed said cards into dancing grapes, you've tried to explain to me how on earth Coldplay could be considered an alternative band, but as of yet, no studying."

"Want to go to Hogsmeade for ice-cream?"

"No," Hermione answers quickly with a shake of her head. _Yes, yes, yes!_ "I want to study."

Harry stares at her for a moment before leaning forward, hands resting on the table. Hermione almost laughs at his appearance.

"Okay, tell you what," He says, almost as if they're in some low budget mafia movie making an important deal. "Let's go get some ice cream, and then when we get back, I'll study."

"There's ice cream here," Hermione points out. "I'm sure the house elves will be more than glad to serve you some."

"Yes," Harry nods. "But they don't have any cones."

"Cones?"

She can't believe how difficult Harry is being.

"I need cones," Harry says mock seriously.

Hermione thinks for a moment. It's not that she doesn't want ice-cream, it's just that she doesn't trust herself alone with Harry. Save for right now, which is different because there's a chance someone can come down the stairs or through the portrait at any moment.

"So, if we go get ice-cream. . ."

"In cones," Harry interrupts.

Hermione nods and continues. "Then you will be a perfect student for the rest of the night?"

Harry just grins and nods.

"I could not believe you less," Hermione laughs. Harry looks startled for a moment, and Hermione's next words come tumbling out. "You lead the way, I'll read you Goblin Wars: Revised. Won't that be fun?"

"You have no idea how much," Harry grins. Hermione can't help the butterflies in her stomach.

_Dean who?_

••

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You know, where I come from it's customary to leave a review. [Hint, hint. Nudge, hint, wink.] Anyway, if you've gotten this far, thank you for reading through the whole thing! Ta!-**Ramoning Along**


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